WWE TLC 2018: Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles, WWE Championship Match, TLC winners, video highlights, and analysis
AJ Styles came into his match on WWE TLC 2018 on the back of a brilliant 2018. For the longest time, he was the WWE Champion, and only recently lost his Championship Title when Daniel Bryan turned his back on the WWE Universe.
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan came into WWE TLC on an incredible high, as his 'new' personality had seen him grab at every opportunity to rule over the SmackDown Live locker room. Could Daniel Bryan continue his incredible run as the WWE Champion or would AJ Styles find a way to recover the Championship he feels that he never lost fairly?
Styles let out all his frustration with Bryan in the first few minutes of their match. Styles battered down Bryan and caught him with a dropkick before sending him to the outside. When Styles followed him to the outside for a Phenomenal Forearm, Bryan caught him with a kick to the ribs.
Once back in the ring, Bryan continued to batter down the Styles focusing on Styles' ribs. Bryan battered AJ Styles with kicks to the ribs and then threw him to the outside. Bryan and Styles exchanged roll-ups in the middle of the ring. Bryan hit a running dropkick on Styles to the corner which he followed up with a repeat.
When he went for it again, Styles caught Bryan with a Clothesline, spinning Bryan inside out. Styles hit Bryan with a myriad of strikes, dropping him with a spinning back fist. Styles went for the Styles Clash, but Bryan rolled out of the ring.
Bryan came into the ring, and immediately Styles was about to hit him, but Bryan tried to distract Styles by begging him to stop. Bryan then tried to run at Styles but AJ Styles hit him with the Argentine Backbreaker.
Styles went for the top rope move, but he was caught by Bryan who hit him with repeated knees to the face, before hitting him with the neckbreaker. Bryan hit the Yes Kicks and tried to flip Styles, but he landed on his feet.
Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but ended up reversing Bryan's kick counter, by twisting his knee. Styles focused on Bryan's knees and went for a Styles Clash. Thereafter, he continued to punish the knee with the help of a Single Leg Boston Crab.
Bryan turned it around and went for the Labelle Lock, which he cinched in. Styles rolled Bryan up by reversing it, but Bryan got a roll-up of his own. Bryan hit the Yes Kick, while Styles hit the Pelle Kick.
The two exchanged blows in the centre of the ring before Bryan hit Styles with a kick. Styles came back with a dropkick of his own. Styles hit Bryan with a Springboard-450 Splash, but Bryan kicked out.
Styles locked in the Calf Crusher on Bryan, cranking on Bryan's left leg. Bryan managed to twist himself to a position where he could reach the rope and break the lock. The two went to the outside, and there Styles was able to hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Bryan.
Styles set Bryan up for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Bryan managed to get out of the way. Styles rolled Bryan up, but Bryan reversed and won the match suddenly with a 3-count.
Result: The New Daniel Bryan defeated AJ Styles and retained the WWE Championship